Posted by Brigham and Women's Hospital December 22, 2016

Lyme disease is an infection that is transmitted through the bite of a tick infected with a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi.

Lyme disease is the most common vector borne illness in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 300,000 new cases are diagnosed yearly, making Lyme disease more common than previously thought.

Lyme disease is primarily focused in the Northeast, the upper Midwest, and regions of the Pacific Northwest, though you can contract it in other parts of the country. The most common seasons to develop Lyme disease are spring, summer, and fall, but it is possible to contract Lyme in the winter. Read More »